Carolina Hurricanes Shopping Jesperi Kotkaniemi
The Carolina Hurricanes are reportedly considering trade offers for center Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported this morning.
According to Friedman, the Hurricanes “recognize [Kotkaniemi] needs a fresh start” and are considering trade offers for the 25-year-old pivot at this time. 
He also added that he believes “there is legit interest” in Kotkaniemi, and that the Hurricanes already included Kotkaniemi in their trade talks for Quinn Hughes and Phillip Danault, who were ultimately dealt to the Minnesota Wild and Montreal Canadiens, respectively.
Kotkaniemi, the No. 3 pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, has had an up-and-down pro career and his time in Carolina has been no different. At times, the 6’3″ center has flashed the kind of coveted attributes that made him a top prospect in the first place, but finding consistency has been a massive issue.
Kotkaniemi had a strong 34-point season as an 18-year-old rookie in Montreal, but his inability to build on that campaign and live up to the pressure of being such a high draft choice ultimately led to his exit from the Canadiens. He left Montreal via an offer sheet from Carolina.
The offer sheet, seen by many as retribution for the Canadiens’ own offer sheet of Hurricanes star Sebastian Aho (a characterization the Hurricanes strongly denied, to be clear), was followed up by an eight-year, $4.82MM contract extension. Kotkaniemi has four years remaining after this one on that deal.
There were times in his tenure in Carolina that Kotkaniemi looked to be becoming the quality middle-six two-way pivot he was long projected to be. He scored 18 goals and 43 points in 2022-23, and added seven points in 15 playoff games. But ultimately, that season stands as a career-high, and Kotkaniemi proved unable to seize on the repeated opportunities he was provided to become Carolina’s trusted No. 2 center behind Aho.
After scoring 33 points last season, Kotkaniemi is on pace for a career-low level of offensive production. His six points in 25 games this season give him a 20-point 82-game scoring pace, though it’s worth noting he has missed some time with injuries. Kotkaniemi is averaging 11:08 time on ice per game this season without any regular special teams usage.
Given his inconsistency and inability to seize his opportunity in Carolina, it’s fair to question whether the Hurricanes will be able to receive a significant return in a Kotkaniemi trade. On one hand, he doesn’t appear to be a player worth a huge amount, especially with four additional years left on his deal at a $4.82MM AAV.
But on the other hand, there are reasons to believe Kotkaniemi, for all of his flaws, remains a coveted asset. For one, the supply of available centers on the market is extremely low, something Philadelphia Flyers GM Danny Briere confirmed after signing center Christian Dvorak to a recent extension. As a result, a team in need of a center might not have many superior options available than Kotkaniemi.
Additionally, to some, Kotkaniemi’s contract might be seen as a negative, or even a deal breaker. To others, they might see it as an opportunity. If Kotkaniemi could simply get back to his level of play from 2022-23, for example, he would be providing surplus value on that cap hit with team control until the end of the decade. If a team truly believes its staff can get the most out of Kotkaniemi, the chance to have him under control at that rate would be a positive, not a negative.
At this point, we can only speculate as to what that all means for the Hurricanes’ current efforts to trade Kotkaniemi. One thing is clear, though: the 2018 No. 3 pick is looking increasingly likely to continue his career, at some point in the near future, with another franchise.
Photos courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Columbus Blue Jackets Activate, Reassign Luca Marrelli
The Columbus Blue Jackets have activated defenseman Luca Marrelli off of injured reserve, and reassigned him to the club’s AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters.
Marrelli, 20, underwent offseason shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum. The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline reported in September that Marrelli’s recovery timeline had him slated to return at some point in December, so his ultimate return date has fallen just a bit later than the original projections.
This activation allows Marrelli to begin his professional career. The 2024 third-round pick spent the last four years manning the blueline for the Oshawa Generals of the OHL. He steadily developed over the course of his junior hockey career, going from reserve blueliner to Oshawa’s key offensive generator from the back end. Marrelli helped Oshawa make deep playoff runs in each of his final two years in the OHL, with the Generals falling to the London Knights in the OHL finals in back-to-back years.
Marrelli’s final season in Oshawa was, as expected, his best. He managed 74 points in 67 regular-season games, and added on 36 points in 21 OHL playoff contests. That playoff performance set a Generals record for most points by a defenseman in a single playoff run, and he ended the year named a CHL Second-Team All-Star. That performance allowed Marrelli to enter the 2025-26 campaign as one of Columbus’ more highly-regarded prospects. Before the season, he was ranked as the club’s No. 7 prospect by The Athletic’s Corey Pronman, No. 8 by Elite Prospects, and No. 8 by Daily Faceoff.
Now with his pro career set to begin in Cleveland, it’s unclear at this moment where exactly on the Monsters’ defense Marrelli will slot in. With 2021 first-rounder Corson Ceulemans already in the lineup and veteran top-four stalwart Dysin Mayo recently reassigned, there does not appear to be a clear spot for Marrelli on the right side of the team’s top two pairings.
With that said, the club could shift left-shooting veteran Will Butcher back to the left side, which could keep open a spot for Marrelli on the team’s third pairing.
It will also be interesting to see if Marrelli, whose offensive ability defined his game in junior, will be able to unseat Butcher or Mayo on the Monsters power play. Butcher has 14 points in 28 games this season, while Mayo has seven in 19 games. Worth noting with the power play is that until 2025-26, Mayo has not consistently featured on an AHL power play, meaning he could be a clear candidate to surrender his role there to Marrelli.
Montreal Canadiens Reassign Adam Engstrom
The Montreal Canadiens announced today that defenseman Adam Engström has been reassigned to the team’s AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket.
Engström, 22, finishes what was his first-ever NHL recall with 11 games played. While he wasn’t able to collect his first NHL point, Engström showed some flashes playing in what was a sheltered third-pairing role. He averaged 12:32 time on ice per game, which ranks as the second-lowest average time on ice per game among Canadiens defensemen this season, ahead of only Arber Xhekaj.
Despite the limited usage and lack of any production, Engström doesn’t return to the Rocket empty-handed. He showed flashes of what made him the Canadiens’ No. 6 prospect, according to Elite Prospects. Engström’s game is built around his mobility and his poise, and in December The Athletic’s Arpon Basu wrote that the Canadiens “clearly have a promising talent in Engström.”
Now slated to return to Laval, it’s likely Engström will resume playing a key role for the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate. He scored 16 points in just 20 games before his recall, and could form a formidable top pair alongside 2023 No. 5 pick David Reinbacher. If the Canadiens face an injury to the left side of their defense, expect Engström to be first in line for a recall.
Engström’s reassignment also signals that top-four defenseman Kaiden Guhle could be nearing a return to the ice. Guhle has been out since Oct. 16 with a groin injury. He underwent adductor muscle surgery on Nov. 14 and was originally given an eight-to-ten week recovery timeline. Tomorrow will be eight weeks since that point, placing Guhle squarely within that originally projected return window.
If the Canadiens do end up getting Guhle back, his return would be a significant boost to the team’s defense. While it wouldn’t be without complications — star defenseman Lane Hutson would likely have to be shifted to the right side, where he has been less dominant than he’s been on his natural left side — the overall effect on the team’s blueline will almost certainly be positive.
Guhle is a key top-four defensive defenseman for the club and should help lighten the load placed on the shoulders of veteran Mike Matheson. Matheson leads all NHL defensemen in short-handed ice time per game with 4:18 per contest, and ranks No. 8 in the NHL in time-on-ice per game despite barely receiving any power play time. If Engström’s reassignment does indeed signal a Guhle return, the Canadiens defensive deployment is likely to soon change.
Luke Schenn Reportedly Open To Trade
The Winnipeg Jets have been arguably the NHL’s most disappointing team this season, as last year’s Presidents’ Trophy winners have fallen to last place in the league standings.
Owners of a 10-game losing streak, the Jets look increasingly unlikely to return to the postseason this Spring, and as a result, increased focus is being paid to whether or not the Jets might look to trade away some veteran assets to help re-tool their roster.
While it appears highly unlikely that Winnipeg would pursue major roster surgery — much of the lineup that got 56 wins and 116 points last season remains intact — it could be that the club looks to replenish some of its lineup by trading away a few pending free agents that it may not have interest in re-signing. One name that looks poised to be a trade candidate is that of 1,100 game veteran Luke Schenn.
Schenn, 36, is playing out the final year of the $2.75MM AAV free agent contract he signed in 2023 with the Nashville Predators. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported that while Schenn hasn’t requested a trade, “there is some word” that he “wouldn’t mind a change of scenery.”
Schenn is Winnipeg’s most sparingly-used defenseman, averaging just 13:32 time on ice per game. While he’s still playing a role on the penalty kill (1:44 per game) his usage is well below where it was in Winnipeg (17:28 per game) last season. Schenn has also been a healthy scratch at times this season, including four times in the team’s last eight games.
The Athletic’s Chris Johnston listed Schenn No. 8 on his third trade board of the season today, writing that the veteran will “carry value as a right-shot defenseman ideally suited for third-pairing duty.”
The Jets surrendered two draft picks (second and fourth-round choices) to acquire Schenn, and it’s unlikely, as Johnston noted that they’d be able to get that kind of value back in any Schenn deal.
But even if they won’t end up getting a huge amount back in a trade, a Schenn deal could accomplish two key, useful objectives for the club.
Firstly, if Schenn indeed would prefer a deal away from Winnipeg, trading him would be doing right by a well-respected veteran player. Clubs are always striving to build a reputation as a place that treats its players well, and the Jets would be able to enhance their reputation in that area by giving Schenn the chance to compete for another Stanley Cup ring elsewhere.
Secondly, trading Schenn would not only clear the pro-rated portion of his $2.75MM cap hit off their books, it would also open up a roster spot, and some ice time, for some of the other Jets blueliners. 21-year-old Elias Salmonsson, for example, could benefit from the additional ice time.
In addition, the Jets have a few other defensemen playing at the AHL level that could stand an increased chance at getting an NHL look if Schenn is traded. 6’4″ right-shot blueliner Tyrel Bauer, for example, plays a similar style to Schenn on the Moose and plays a regular role on their penalty kill. The Jets have yet to test him at the NHL level, though he has nearly 200 games on record for the Moose.
He’s a pending restricted free agent, and trading Schenn could allow the Jets to give Bauer a look at the NHL level, which could go a long way in informing what kind of deal they’re prepared to offer him in his upcoming restricted free agency.
Ultimately, while the Jets certainly aren’t in the on-ice position they hoped, or expected, to be in 2025-26, there are still steps they can take to make the most of what has thus far been a miserable NHL season. Trading Schenn, who would be open to a deal per Pagnotta, could be the start of a set of moves in Winnipeg designed to reboot the roster.
Photos courtesy of James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images
Pittsburgh Penguins Reassign Ville Koivunen
The Pittsburgh Penguins announced today that winger Ville Koivunen has been reassigned to the team’s AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
The move does not come as a major surprise as Koivunen has been a healthy scratch twice in the Penguins’ last three games. The 22-year-old winger, who was acquired by the Penguins as part of the 2024 Jake Guentzel trade, entered the season as a key player to watch in Pittsburgh. He scored 21 goals and 56 points for the AHL Penguins last season, and also managed seven assists in eight NHL games, the first NHL games of his career.
Koivunen entered the season ranked as the No. 2 prospect in Pittsburgh’s system according to Elite Prospects, who wrote that “he could ascend to a top-nine or even top-six role, becoming one of the keys to the Penguins’ rebuild.”
That ascension hasn’t happened so far in 2025-26. While he remained a lethal offensive weapon at the AHL level, scoring a whopping 11 points in just six games at that level, he’s struggled to make his mark at the NHL level the way he did in his short cameo last season.
One week ago, The Athletic’s Josh Yohe wrote that Koivunen “has been quite disappointing,” adding that “he isn’t ready for prime time just yet.” The 22-year-old has managed just five points in 27 games this season, averaging 12:41 time on ice per game.
Reassigning Koivunen back to the AHL gives the player an opportunity to receive a more significant level of playing time. He’ll play a leading role in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, rather than a minimal one in Pittsburgh.
In addition, getting the chance to once again play at the AHL level should help Koivunen rebuild some confidence in his scoring abilities, and that could allow him to hit the ground running the next time he’s called up to Pittsburgh.
New York Rangers Reportedly Pursued Kiefer Sherwood
Before losing two franchise pillars (defenseman Adam Fox and netminder Igor Shesterkin) to injury, the New York Rangers “had been aggressively trying to trade for reinforcements,” the Athletic’s Vince Z. Mercogliano reported yesterday.
Citing multiple league sources, Mercogliano reported that the Rangers “have been pushing hard” to acquire veteran winger Kiefer Sherwood from the Vancouver Canucks, but have found the Canucks’ reported asking price of at least a first-round pick to be “prohibitive.”
The Rangers aren’t alone in their interest in Sherwood. Not only is he one of the league’s more popular trade candidates, but earlier this week, we covered reports coming out of Vancouver that the Canucks made a renewed push to try to sign the pending UFA to a contract extension.
Per CHEK and The Athletic’s Rick Dhaliwal, the Canucks made a four or five-year offer to Sherwood with an AAV north of $4MM.
With Sherwood looking increasingly likely to be traded at some point before the March 6 trade deadline, Mercogliano’s report is one of the first coming from a rival team showing clear motivation to acquire Sherwood.
On paper, it’s easy to see why New York might be interested in the veteran winger.
While new Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan and his staff have done a great job patching up the Rangers’ defense, something that was a glaring issue last season, their renewed focus on strong team defense appears to have come at the cost of the club’s offensive attack.
The Rangers rank No. 22 in the NHL in goals scored this season, and have played more games than all but one team below them. They have scored just six more goals than the St. Louis Blues, who rank last in the NHL in goals scored.
The addition of Sherwood, whose 17 goals this season would lead the Rangers, not only would provide the Rangers with a much-needed scoring boost, but he’d also bring a level of physicality and aggression that could benefit the Rangers’ forward group.
But while New York would certainly improve its immediate competitive fortunes by acquiring Sherwood, it’s fair to question whether such a move is in the franchise’s long-term best interests. The team is hardly the only club interested in acquiring Sherwood, a fact that is likely to enhance the Canucks’ odds of receiving their desired first-round pick asking price. Even if the cost is ultimately more in the second-round range, that’s still a valuable draft asset.
Should the Rangers, who sit outside of the playoff picture looking in and are missing two key players to injury, spend that kind of asset for immediate scoring help, especially when that scoring help is a pending UFA?
While New York likely wants to maximize its chances to win while Fox and Shesterkin (and other veterans such as Mika Zibanejad and J.T. Miller) are in their prime, it might not be wise to spend such an expensive asset on Sherwood. For as many positive qualities as he has as a player, he’s not the kind of addition that will suddenly make a middling Rangers team into a true Stanley Cup contender.
New York could badly use an infusion of young talent with upside onto its roster. Their prospect pool was ranked No. 21 in the NHL in August by Elite Prospects, but some key names look increasingly unlikely to become true NHL difference-makers, such as No. 4 prospect Brennan Othmann.
The Rangers do hold two first-round picks and a second-rounder thanks to the offseason’s K’Andre Miller trade, but given where the Rangers are in their competitive cycle, one could argue the Rangers would be better off making those picks instead of trading them for a 30-year-old pending UFA.
New York doesn’t have the easiest road back to true Stanley Cup contention, and the debate regarding their interest in Sherwood is a prime example of why. For what it’s worth, it does appear that the injuries to Fox and Shesterkin may have altered New York’s outlook on this season. Mercogliano cited two additional league sources who “believe some degree of selling is an increasingly likely outcome for the Rangers” this season.
If that ends up being the case, the Rangers could go a long way towards replenishing their stable of draft picks and prospects, especially if they end up trading pending UFA Artemi Panarin, their leading scorer. Panarin carries a full no-move clause on his contract, so any effort to trade him would need to come with the player’s direct involvement and sign-off.
If the Rangers are concerned with trying to win a Stanley Cup during what remains of the prime years of Shesterkin, 30, it could be that taking a small step back in 2025-26 is the best way to take a more substantial leap forward for 2026-27 and beyond.
Photos courtesy of Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
Canucks Reportedly Made Renewed Effort To Extend Kiefer Sherwood
Tuesday: Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK and The Athletic reported today that the offer is believed to be a medium-term agreement (four or five years) with an AAV of over $4MM per season. For context, PuckPedia reports that his estimated career earnings is $4.77MM so whenever he signs, be it with Vancouver or elsewhere, it will be quite the increase in pay for him.
Saturday: The Vancouver Canucks made a new contract extension offer to pending UFA forward Kiefer Sherwood, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported last night. Friedman added that he still believes there is a “sizable gap” in terms of what Sherwood is looking for on his next deal versus what the Canucks are willing to offer, making a trade still the most likely outcome.
It has been frequently reported over the last few months that the Canucks are looking to trade away their pending UFAs, part of an organizational pivot made in the aftermath of the Quinn Hughes trade. Out of all of the Canucks’ pending UFAs, Sherwood is generally viewed as the most valuable trade asset, making it notable that the club has made a new pitch to try to retain his services beyond this season.
Sportsnet’s Iain McIntyre wrote this morning that Sherwood has a “strong case to make $4- or $5-million or more annually on his next contract,” and it would be something of a surprise to see the Canucks invest so heavily in Sherwood, who turns 31 on March 31.
If the Canucks are serious about pivoting their competitive strategy to favor something akin to a rebuild, trading away Sherwood for what is likely to be a solid return of either draft picks or young prospects appears to be the only real path forward.
But Friedman’s report indicates that the club is at least making a real push to try to keep Sherwood, and for what it’s worth, Sherwood did communicate a desire to remain in Vancouver. He told McIntyre “I love it here,” and that he wants “to do nothing more than bring energy and happiness to this fan base in this market.”
It’s not difficult to see why the Canucks might want to retain Sherwood, of course. He’s a well-respected veteran whose work ethic has endeared him to coaches and fans alike in Vancouver. He racks up hits like few other wingers across the NHL and has a knack for goal scoring as well, potting 17 in just 41 games this season.
He’s a player that offers a lot to like, and as the Canucks integrate more and more younger players into their NHL lineup, it’s not unreasonable that they’d want a few veterans to serve as the steady backbone of their lineup.
Sherwood could serve in that role, undoubtedly. But seeing as Friedman reported that there is still a notable gap between what the Canucks are looking to pay Sherwood on his next deal, and what Sherwood is looking to earn, a trade still appears to be, by far, the most likely path the Canucks take here.
Photos courtesy of Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Boston Bruins Activate Henri Jokiharju
The Boston Bruins announced today that defenseman Henri Jokiharju has been activated off of injured reserve. In a corresponding move, the Bruins placed blueliner Hampus Lindholm on IR.
Per team reporter Belle Fraser, Jokiharju was a full participant in Bruins practice yesterday, indicating that a full return to the lineup was near. Jokiharju has been out since Nov. 28 with an undisclosed injury, an absence that cost him 16 games.
Jokiharju has 25 games played this season and has scored six points. When healthy, he’s Boston’s No. 5 defenseman, 17:23 time on ice per game including around a minute per game on each special teams unit. The 26-year-old is likely to slot into Boston’s second pairing tonight against the Kraken.
Replacing Jokiharju on IR is Lindholm, who is dealing with an undisclosed injury. There hasn’t been much detail provided on Lindholm’s injury, both regarding what the ailment actually is, or what kind of recovery timeline Lindholm faces. But by virtue of being placed on IR today, he’ll miss at least a week.
If Lindholm’s absence proves to be an extended one, the Bruins would be left without one of their most important defensemen. Lindholm is Boston’s No. 2 blueliner behind Charlie McAvoy, averaging 22:10 time on ice per game including second-unit power play duties and first-unit penalty kill deployment.
While he’s still heavily relied-upon by head coach Marco Sturm, Lindholm has had to navigate choppy waters the last few years. He missed most of last season with an injury, and saw his offensive production drop from 53 points in 2022-23 to just 26 in 2023-24. He had 14 points in 34 games this season before his injury. Lindholm is under contract through 2029-30 at a $6.5MM annual cap hit.
New York Rangers To Place Adam Fox On LTIR, Igor Shesterkin On IR
The New York Rangers will place defenseman Adam Fox on long-term injured reserve (LTIR), and place netminder Igor Shesterkin on injured reserve, according to Mollie Walker of The New York Post.
While those injured reserve placements have yet to be officially announced, the Rangers did foreshadow the moves by recalling veteran netminder Spencer Martin and defenseman Scott Morrow from their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. The Rangers also reassigned forward Brett Berard back to the AHL.
The Rangers lost in overtime to the Utah Mammoth yesterday, and Shesterkin left that game with a non-contact lower-body injury.
ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reported today that Shesterkin “avoided” the “worst-case scenario” with his injury, but is still being evaluated.
Any potential extended absence of Shesterkin would deal a massive, potentially fatal blow to the Rangers’ hopes of returning to the playoffs in 2025-26.
The 2021-22 Vezina Trophy winner has started 34 games for New York this season, posting a .913 save percentage and 2.45 goals-against-average.
He’s widely considered to be among the league’s finest netminders, a status reflected by the eight-year, $11.5MM AAV contract extension he signed in December of 2024.
While the Rangers have a veteran backup in Jonathan Quick who has been stellar this season (.919 save percentage in 11 games), he hasn’t had to handle a significant workload since he was a member of the Los Angeles Kings. The three-time Stanley Cup champion made just 20 starts last season and 26 the year before. For as long as Shesterkin is out with this injury, Quick will now be counted on as the Rangers’ No. 1 goalie.
Supporting Quick in the crease is Martin, a 30-year-old veteran with 66 games of NHL experience. Martin was the No. 3 goalie for the Carolina Hurricanes last season but couldn’t find an NHL role for 2025-26 last summer, so he signed with CSKA Moscow of the KHL. Martin left CSKA and signed with the Rangers in November. He went 5-6-2 with a .905 save percentage in the KHL, and has a .903 save percentage in six games played for the Wolf Pack this season.
The Rangers could have also opted to recall 23-year-old Dylan Garand to the NHL to fill Shesterkin’s vacated roster spot, as the former CHL Goalie of the Year has been quite good in Hartford over the last few years and could be NHL-ready at this point. But seeing as Quick is likely to start most of the games in Shesterkin’s absence, it’s understandable that the Rangers would rather recall Martin, the veteran, and let Garand continue to get a steady diet of starts and develop at the AHL level.
While we don’t know how long Shesterkin is set to be out for, we do have a slightly more clear timeline regarding Fox. The 2020-21 Norris Trophy winner missed most of December with an upper-body injury, one that landed him on LTIR. He’ll now return to LTIR, this time with a lower-body injury, after just three games played. LTIR rules stipulate that Fox must now miss at least 10 games or 24 days of action. According to Walker’s report, Fox will be re-evaluated when he is eligible to be activated.
Replacing Fox on the Rangers’ roster is Morrow, who the team acquired this past summer as part of the K’Andre Miller trade. Morrow was ranked as the NHL’s No. 33 skater prospect by the team at Elite Prospects this past August, a billing he earned after scoring 39 points in 52 AHL games in his first full season playing pro hockey. The 23-year-old hasn’t been able to translate that level of production from the Hurricanes organization to New York, scoring just five points in 14 games in Hartford and three points in 16 games for the Rangers.
The Rangers at times gave Morrow a look quarterbacking their power play while Fox was injured, but he was unable to seize that role. With Fox now set to miss around a month or more, Morrow could get another look in that role.
The final player involved in transactions today is Berard. The 23-year-old has split time between Hartford and New York this season, skating in 20 games for the Wolf Pack (nine points scored) and 12 games for the Rangers (zero points). He’s a pending restricted free agent who was recalled at the start of 2026 and was dressed for the team’s Jan. 2 victory over the Florida Panthers.
He was a healthy scratch for yesterday’s loss to Utah. Newsday’s Colin Stephenson noted today that Berard’s reassignment leaves the Rangers short of spare forwards, which could suggest that one, or both, of injured forwards J.T. Miller and Noah Laba may be close to returning.
Photos courtesy of Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Buffalo Sabres Make Four Roster Moves
The Buffalo Sabres announced a series of roster moves today, as they activated veteran Jason Zucker off of injured reserve and recalled defenseman Zac Jones from their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. In two corresponding moves, the Sabres placed defenseman Michael Kesselring and goaltender Alex Lyon on injured reserve.
Zucker, 33, has been out since the Sabres’ Dec. 8 contest against the Calgary Flames. Despite losing Zucker, a veteran of nearly 800 games who had 18 points in 21 games before his injury, the Sabres went on a 10-game win streak starting in their first game without Zucker, a streak that only came to an end Jan. 3 at the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Per NHL.com’s Heather Engel, Zucker will return to the lineup as the Sabres’ second-line right winger. When he last played, Zucker was the team’s third-line left wing, skating on a line with Jack Quinn and Ryan McLeod. Zach Benson is now in that spot.
The return of Zucker should help the Sabres build more momentum in their push to end their playoff drought, which stands as the league’s longest. The 33-year-old is playing out the first year of a two-year contract extension he signed in March of last year, one that carries a $4.75MM cap hit.
Shifting focus to the Sabres’ defense, the team placed Kesselring on IR after he missed the team’s Saturday loss to the Blue Jackets. The 25-year-old missed nearly a month with a lower-body injury in November and December, and also began the season with a lower-body injury that cost him nine games. The 6’5″ blueliner was acquired by the Sabres over the summer as part of the JJ Peterka trade. The Sabres also received breakout winger Josh Doan from the Utah Mammoth in the deal.
His difficulty staying healthy has cost Kesselring the chance to play a significant role on head coach Lindy Ruff’s defense. Through 16 games played this season, Kesselring doesn’t have a point and is averaging just over 15 minutes of ice time per game, including just over a minute shorthanded.
Replacing Kesselring on the roster is Jones, a former minor league and NCAA standout. Once one of the better prospects in the New York Rangers’ system (he was ranked No. 2 in their pool by The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler in 2022), Jones failed to earn a regular role on the Rangers, serving mainly as a reserve defenseman under former head coach Peter Laviolette.
Jones was not extended a qualifying offer by the Rangers last summer, and the Sabres signed him to a one-year, $900K deal with a hefty $550K AHL salary. While he has yet to make his Sabres debut after failing to earn a spot on the team out of training camp, he has been brilliant at the AHL level. Jones has 30 points in 27 games for the Americans, leading the team in scoring.
If Jones gets the chance to play during this recall, it would be a significant opportunity for him as he is a pending restricted free agent. The Athletic’s Matthew Fairburn wrote on Jan. 3 that the Sabres “don’t have a lot of internal options Ruff trusts.” If Jones can find a way to earn the trust of Ruff to a greater extent than his rival Sabres depth blueliners have been able to (namely Zach Metsa, Jacob Bryson, and Ryan Johnson), he could secure an extended runway to show off his skills at the NHL level.
To clear sufficient room for Jones’ recall and Zucker’s activation on their regular roster, the Sabres placed Lyon, a goalie, on IR. Lyon has been dealing with a lower-body injury and will now miss at least a week due to this IR placement. The 33-year-old has a 10-6-3 record this season with a .904 save percentage, and is under contract at a $1.5MM AAV through next season. Since the Sabres have been carrying three goalies on their active roster, they are able to place Lyon on IR without recalling another netminder.
With Lyon injured, Ruff and the Sabres will turn to veteran Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and rookie waiver claim Colten Ellis in the crease to help sustain the momentum they built with their win streak.
Photos courtesy of Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images